Newcastle transfer target Jorgen Strand Larsen scored twice for Wolves on Tuesday to knock West Ham out of the Carabao Cup.
Strand Larsen is the subject of a £50m bid from Newcastle, promptly rejected by Wolves. TBR Football understand Wolves are keen to keep Strand Larsen and only an offer similar to the £68m received for Matheus Cunha would tempt them to sell him.
Newcastle are in the market for a striker as Alexander Isak remains frozen out at St James’ Park. Isak wants to join Liverpool, who have walked away from a deal for the time being.
Wolverhampton Wanderers FC v Chelsea FC - Premier League
Photo by Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Yoane Wissa is another striker of interest to Newcastle but a deal has not yet been concluded. TBR Football reported this week that Sporting striker Conrad Harder had been offered to Eddie Howe’s side.
Wolves boss Vitor Pereira keeps door open for Jorgen Strand Larsen to join Newcastle
Speaking after Strand Larsen’s quickfire brace to help Wolves into the next round of the Carabao Cup, and fresh reports that Newcastle saw a second £55m bid rejected, Vitor Pereira said he wanted to keep the Norwegian striker at Molineux.
“If it’s my decision, of course [he stays]. Of course. Because he’s a very important player,” Pereira said. “Until now, Jorgen is our player. We’ll see what happens. I understand football. Football is football.
“Every player has a price, I believe. Even Messi or Cristiano. I understand football, but for me, he is very, very important for us. We’ll see what happens.”
Pereira’s comments leave the door firmly open to Newcastle to return with a higher bid as they look to add firepower in attack, while he also offered a tempting selling point amid Alexander Isak’s controversial fall out at St James’ Park.
Vitor Pereira tells Newcastle that Jorgen Strand Larsen is a ‘team player’
Praising Strand Larsen, Pereira made a point of highlighting the Norwegian’s team ethic – a hot topic at Newcastle as Isak continues to try and force a move away. Newcastle fans displayed a pointed banner against Liverpool this week saying: ‘Nothing is achieved alone.’
Pereira said: “He is a player with character. I can imagine his mind in this moment because he listens to a lot of things, reading a lot of things, and then he keeps the commitment.
Jorgen Strand Larsen of Wolverhampton Wanderers celebrates scoring his team's third goal with teammates Jackson Tchatchoua and Jhon Arias
Photo by Wolverhampton Wanderers FC/Wolves via Getty Images
“He goes to help the team and in the last minutes I asked him to go back and help as a centre back. He is a team player. He is a top player.”
“I know him very well. He will never, never force [a move]. But of course, we know football is football. I want to keep the best players and this kind of player with us, of course.”
If Newcastle wanted justification to return with a higher bid for Strand Larsen, Pereira’s clever comments may strike right at the heart of the Magpies’ current priorities.